John Watters, 17, of Latonia spreads adhesive in the hallway of a house that is being rehabbed by participants in the YouthBuild program.

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Before Kyle Deaton joined YouthBuild of Northern Kentucky, the 20-year-old high-school dropout was struggling to pay his bills, and he had no career goals.

Today, the Bellevue youth is earning his GED while getting on-the-job training in construction trades. Next month, he'll attend a national conference in Washington, D.C., for YouthBuild members who show leadership potential. Instead of spending his days doing nothing, Deaton is planning for a career working in HVAC and carpentry.

"Without this program, I'd be sleeping on the couch all day, being lazy," Deaton said. "I wouldn't have ...